Sunday, 22 January 2017

FTSE 100 CEO Stephen Kelly says small businesses are still being ignored as Davos wraps up

Sage launches Forum for Business Builders to give entrepreneurs a voice

22 January 2017: Global research by Sage highlights that only 33% of small businesses feel represented by politicians in their country’s decision making. The data was published in the week of the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) where politicians and big business will gathered in Davos to debate the global economic picture.

In Dubai where 95% of the market is made up of Small & Medium Businesses, small business owners share these concerns. Additionally, access to funding, pending introduction of certain taxes, fluctuating oil prices, and a highly competitive domestic market add to the challenges faced by the sector.

Sage CEO Stephen Kelly, said: “Only too often when the world’s policy makers discuss the global economic picture, small businesses are excluded from the discussion. This is most evident with the annual World Economic Forum in Davos where small businesses aren’t an item on the agenda. Worse still, 60% don’t even know the event is taking place. It’s crazy when you consider that small businesses create two thirds of all the jobs in most economies, and represent over 98% of all businesses.”

To give business builders a platform to connect with policy makers, Sage is launching its ‘Forum for Business Builders’. The Forum offers entrepreneurs from around the world insights, events and policy-forming partnerships that give them a powerful collective voice that can be heard on the world stage.

It builds on Sage’s ongoing commitment to bring governments together with business builders. In December, Sage hosted a successful event in Dublin with Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Irish entrepreneurs, and visited Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Australia to discuss small business challenges in their countries. It also hosted two events in the UK gathering Ministers and trade associations to discuss the implications of the EU Referendum on entrepreneurs.

Mr. Reggie Fernandes, Regional Director—Sage Middle East, said: “Across the Middle East, Small & Medium Businesses are the focus of government development and economic policy plans. The value that the sector brings to any country’s economy is tremendous in terms of innovation, service, and employment.

“However, for the sector to flourish support systems from government and the wider ecosystem are essential. As a responsible partner in the socio-economic landscape, Sage Middle East is proud to play its part with our products, services, and outreach programmes such as the new Forum for Business Builders.”

The Forum is open to all small businesses and will be refreshed regularly with diverse content and insights from guest contributors and advisors.